Method for pouring confectionery solution

ABSTRACT

Confectionery solution containing gelling agents such as agar-agar, tends ry markedly to form streamers or tails when being poured. The formation of tails or streamers is inhibited in accordance with the invention by the atmosphere in the environment of the pouring region being maintained at (a) a temperature at least equal to the temperature of the confectionery solution and (b) a moisture content at least equal to the equilibrium moisture of the confectionery solution.

The invention relates to a method of pouring confectionery solution intomold recesses, and to an apparatus for performing the process. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a pouring process for the pouringdevices of mogul apparatuses.

Pouring devices for mogul apparatuses have been known in theconfectionery industry for many decades and have become standardized toa considerable extent during this lengthy period. More particularly, apouring device of this kind comprises a supply tank from which theconfectionery solution to be poured is supplied, either by the positivepressure in the boiler itself or by a large number of smallreciprocating pumps. The solution is fed from the tank through a controlvalve to a nozzle plate having a number of nozzles.

Difficulties occur with these briefly described standard pouring deviceswhen they are required to process confectionery solutions containinggelling agents such as gum Arabic, gelatin, agar-agar or the like. Thisis because such agents tend, upon the termination of pouring, to form onthe exit side of the nozzles a filament which not only is detrimental tothe shape of the end product, but also tends to soil the molds, and inextreme cases, may even disturb operation.

It has previously been assumed that the tendency to the formation offilaments increases, with a given kind of confectionery solution, asviscosity increases. Conventionally, therefore, endeavors have beendirected to ensuring that viscosity remains very low during pouring. Theviscosity of the confectionery solution can be controlled to some extentthrough its temperature, the viscosity of the solution decreasing as itstemperature increases. However, the limit to viscosity adjustment bytemperature is soon reached due to the loss of quality entailed byheating of the solution, as a result of the saccharose decomposing.Another way of reducing viscosity is to increase the water content ofthe confectionery solution. This, of course, assumes that the molds canreceive the surplus water after pouring. In actual fact this is trueonly for powder molds; powderless mogul plants would be unsuitable forprocessing such compositions.

Another substantial disadvantage of pouring confectionery solutions withthe use of an excess of water is that such excess prolongs the gellingtime of the solution considerably; for instance, the gelling time ofconfectionery poured without excess of water is less than 1 hour whereasthe drying time of confectionery poured with an excess of water may, insome cases, be several days. To this end, the mold powder boxes andtheir contents must be kept in air-conditioned facilities at atemperature of 60° C. for this long period.

Consequently, a confectioner wishing to produce gelling-agent-containingconfectionery by means of conventional pouring methods--i.e., pouringwith an excess of water--must have available a supply of mold powder andmold powder boxes suffient for several days' production. Theconfectioner must also have air-conditioned facilities available inwhich the production remains for several days, and this obviouslyentails substantial expenditures for the energy consumed by theair-conditioned facilities.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an improvedmethod of pouring a confectionery solution without excess ofwater--i.e., for pouring in the composition of the end product--and anapparatus for the practice of the method.

This object is achieved according to the invention, by maintaining theatmosphere contacting the confectionery solution at:

(a) a temperature at least equal to the temperature of the confectionerysolution; and

(b) a moisture content at least equal to the equilibrium moisture of theconfectionery solution. Surprisingly, tests have shown that it is not somuch the viscosity in itself, as the tendency of the confectionerysolution to form a skin that is responsible for the streamers orfilaments or the like.

When ambient air at ordinary room temperature and ordinary moisturecontent contacts a hot confectionery solution whose composition is thesame as the composition of the end product, a skin begins to formimmediately on the solution surface. This skin formation is due partlyto cooling and partly to the removal of water--i.e., because thesolution surface starts to dry.

If skin formation of this kind occurs before the pouring nozzles, forinstance, in the boiler, the nozzles may become jammed. If skinformation occurs on the exit side of the nozzle, a kind of hose isformed which extends around the pouring cone and after termination ofpouring forms the filament.

If the formation of skin can be obviated, the tenency for such filamentsto form is reduced. The method according to the invention solves thisproblem in a simple way.

The ambient air which is heated and kept moist in accordance with theaforementioned novel conditions precludes cooling or drying-out and,therefore, any skin formation and its attendant disturbances of the kinddescribed, such as clogging of the nozzles and the formation offilaments.

As previously stated, the underlying concept of the method according tothe invention is to obviate the formation of skin on the confectionerysolution. To this end, the air contacting the confectionery solution ismaintained at a temperature at least equal to that of the confectionerysolution to be poured, the moisture content of such air being at leastequal to the equilibrium moisture of the confectionery solution.

The method is performed using a pouring device having all the featuresof conventional pouring devices but with facilities to control the airhumidity and air temperature.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawing which discloses one embodiment of theinvention. It is to be understood that the drawing is designed for thepurpose of illustration only and not intended as a definition of thelimits in scope of the invention.

The drawing is a partially-schematic, sectional view through a pouringdevice and a conditioning chamber disposed therebelow embodying thepresent invention.

In the embodiment of the apparatus shown in the drawing, a pressureboiler pouring device is employed since devices of this kind haveadvantages over piston pump apparatuses for the processing of highlyviscous substances.

The pouring device mainly comprises a boiler 1 which is supplied withcompressed air and which is closed by a bottom plate 2 in contiguousrelationship with a slide plate 3; disposed therebelow is a nozzle plate4 having a number of discharge nozzles 4'. Disposed below nozzle plate 4is a conveyor (not shown) on which mold carriers 5 having pouring molds5' move through below the pouring device, the confectionery solution forpouring being introduced through the nozzles 4' into the molds 5'.

Unlike conventional pouring devices, the device according to theinvention has a conditioning chamber 6 which extends around the nozzleplate 4 and is large enough to receive the mold carriers 5 movingthrough below the nozzle plate 4.

The conditioning chamber 6 mainly comprises heat-insulated walls 6' andentries and exits (not shown) for the arrival and departure of the moldcarriers 5, such entries and exits being in the form of locks in orderto reduce heat losses.

The air in the chamber 6 is circulated continuously by a pump 7 andpassed through a heat exchanger 8. A temperature sensor 9 records thetemperature in the chamber 6 and opens or closes a steam valve 10 asrequired through which live steam is supplied to the heat exchanger 8.

The humidity content of the air is controlled in a similar fashion. Ahumidity sensor 11 records the humidity content of the air in thechamber 6 and adjusts it automatically by way of a valve 12 for varyingthe steam mixed with the warm air, which steam is supplied from theboiling plant (not shown) via line 13.

The means for controlling air temperature and air humidity in the boileroperate in just the same way as has been described with reference to thecontrol of the temperature and humidity of the air in the conditioningchamber 6.

As in the chamber 6, the air in the boiler is circulated continuously bya pump 7' through a heat exchanger 8'. Through the agency of atemperature sensor 9' and a humidity sensor 11' and associated valves10', 12' respectively actuated thereby, the air temperature and the airhumidity are adjusted by a supply of steam to the heat exchanger 8' orby the introduction of steam into the boiler. In this case too, thesteam is derived from the boiling plant via a line 13'.

While only one embodiment has been shown and described, it is obviousthat many changes and modifications may be made thereunto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of molding confectionary solution,comprising the step of pouring a confectionary solution into a moldwhile maintaining the atmosphere contacting the confectionary solutionat a temperature at least substantially equal to the temperature of theconfectionary solution and a moisture content at least substantiallyequal to the equilibrium moisture of the confectionary solution.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said pouring step includes pouring saidconfectionary solution from a boiler into a multiplicity of molds in amold carrier via a nozzle plate having a multiplicity of nozzleopenings, and wherein said atmosphere contacting said confectionarysolution includes the atmosphere in said pouring boiler and in theregion between said nozzle plate and said mold carrier.